Michael Erard

6 days ago | undark.org | Michael Erard

In many Western societies, parents eagerly await their children’s first words, then celebrate their arrival. There’s also a vast scientific and popular attention to early child language. Yet there is (and was) surprisingly little hullabaloo sparked by the first words and hand signs displayed by great apes. As far back as 1916, scientists have been exploring the linguistic abilities of humans’ closest relatives by raising them in language-rich environments.

1 month ago | bigthink.com | Michael Erard

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people More instances of a dying person’s final utterances — their last words, called “famous” if the speaker is prominent or notable or the words themselves wry or ironic — are inscribed in the public record than any baby’s first words.

2 months ago | popsci.com | Michael Erard

Image: DepositPhotos Share This article was originally featured on MIT Press Reader. This article is adapted from Michael Erard’s book “Bye Bye I Love You: The Story of Our First and Last Words.” When William Brahms’s anthology of last words, “Last Words of Notable People,” came out in 2010, he encountered readers who entertained themselves by speculating what their last words might be. Initially, Brahms said, they would propose something witty and profound. Later, they admitted that they’d...

2 months ago | bigthink.com | Michael Erard

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people This article is adapted from Michael Erard’s book Bye Bye I Love You: The Story of Our First and Last Words. When William Brahms’s anthology of last words, “Last Words of Notable People,” came out in 2010, he encountered readers who entertained themselves by speculating what their last words might be. Initially, Brahms said, they would propose something witty and profound.

2 months ago | lithub.com | Michael Erard

Mama. I love you. Thank you. Oh wow. Article continues after advertisementWith our earliest utterances and gestures, we announce ourselves—and are recognized—as persons ready to participate in social life. With our final ones, we mark where others must release us to death’s embrace.